I think a warning with regards to the information on that website is in order. Heeding the advice, and following the logic on that site will get you in trouble if heading offshore. This does not mean that the Mac is not good for what it is intended at, just that what thay guy is concluding is sometimes very different from what most boat designers (and MacGregor themselves?) think is correct.
That said, I personally feel that the Mac (the new one - M or whatever) is a pathetic piece of junk, which I've told my kids never to board, not even in harbor.
This is based on observations of the few we have here, but I've been living right next to the dealer here in DK.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgsteven
You are probably thinking of this site:
Cruising Log of the Murrelet
I would take some of his analysis with a grain of salt, however. I find the idea of the Mac 26x and 26m to be really good -- sail when you want to sail, motor when you need to go fast or there is no wind, trailer it home to avoid split fees.
That having been said, I am not sure I would want to be in one when the winds were high or the seas large. The manufacturer site claims you can sail them in gale force winds, and even has a video up:
http://www.macgregor26.com/index/gale_2_minutes.htm
...but to me their hull form looks round and not too sea kindly, and in big winds and waves its nice to have several thousand pounds of lead sticking down below the boat (as opposed to water ballast which is, well, the same density as the ocean). For light wind as well, the sailplan is significantly smaller than a similar sized sailboat (I assume you just cut on the engine at that point).
If I didn't go into open water, for example if I was only sailing around SF bay and never going out the gate I think the Mac 26M would be ideal -- and since I *don't* go out the gate very often the boats have alot of appeal.
Regards,
Joe |